The Babylonian army was at the gates. It wouldn't be long until they were inside the city. King Zedekiah was terrified.
He was king only because Nebuchadnezzar had captured and replaced the previous king. He knew his time was short. Toward the end of his sham-reign, he was so frightened that he called for Jeremiah, who was imprisoned. The king wanted a secret meeting to find out what the prophet of God recommended.
Jeremiah had been beaten and imprisoned by the king's men, and was still in prison when the king called for him. I might not have been congenial toward the king, but Jeremiah spoke truth without hesitation. (Leanna paraphrase coming up.)
"What do I do, Jeremiah?"
"Surrender is the only option that will save you."
"I can't do that. I'm too afraid."
"You have two choices. If you surrender, you will live. The city will not be burned. You and your household will survive. If you don't surrender, they will get you anyway. The city will be burned and they will capture your wives and your sons. It won't be good, King Zedekiah. Accept the salvation of surrender."
Zedekiah was consumed by his fear and his pride. He stayed in the palace until the city walls were breached, then attempted to escape by night through his garden.
Just as Jeremiah had said, the army captured him. They killed every one of his sons while Zedekiah watched, helpless. The last sight he ever saw was the death of his sons. The Chaldeans blinded his eyes afterward and carried him to captivity. On their way out, they burned the city.
Zedekiah must have spent the rest of his life wishing he'd obeyed Jeremiah's words. "Accept the salvation of surrender."
Those words are just as true for us today. The only salvation for this world and for eternity is found in surrender to Christ alone.
Fear and pride still keep us from the hope that can save us. When we follow Christ, we must first give up our will to have His. We relinquish our right to sin in order to have his righteousness.
This surrender can be terrifying, until we realize that we are surrendering to a holy, loving God who has plans for good and not evil. Plans for a future and a hope, not for calamity.
The only salvation, the only peace, the only hope are found in Christ alone. When we accept the surrender of salvation, we find the life Christ desires for us... abundant and joy-filled.
Today, let's consider our relationship to God. Have we yielded to Him? Are there areas in our lives that need fresh surrender? Let's raise our "white flag" and give ourselves fully to the only One worthy of our dedication.
Christ alone, our only hope.
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12 niv
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12 niv
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post:The Bad Influence and the Terrible Price
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